Posts by Gene Spittle, CPA, PFS:

Being a manufacturer in today’s economy has it opportunities and challenges, and right now you may be flying high on business and running low on people to actually do the work. You may scratch your head daily over this issue and wonder how you can attract the right individuals to do the jobs. Let’s start with the root of the problem—perception. And then I’ll share how some manufacturers are combating this perception. Read the rest of this entry “

When was the last time you talked about taking your business to the next level? If you’ve had this discussion recently, what changes or improvements did you decide on? Were you only thinking about growing your sales? Or did you think about improving your systems and processes? How about your people – do you need to take them to the next level, too?

Making It to the Next Level

In my 31-plus years with this firm, I watched many clients grow from small mom & pop businesses to major employers in their communities. Until the past few years, I really didn’t think much about why some grew and others, well, didn’t.

Many of us learned two fundamentals in college – or in the classroom of life: In order to grow, a business needs solid leadership. And business owners needed to surround themselves with good people.

As I build our firm’s manufacturing client services team I have spent a lot of time reading, listening and asking questions about this idea of the next level. What I have found in my research is that not only do businesses need good people to grow, but you need great systems and you need to stay focused. Read the rest of this entry “

After the ups and downs of the last few years, we should all know that, when it comes to the economy, anything is possible. Some businesses vanished during this downturn, others survived – and some actually flourished! Those that survived and those that flourished had one thing that others did not: an understanding of their product cost. While many of our clients are seeing their sales volumes return to pre-2008 levels, I wonder how many of them truly know what it costs to produce their products. Read the rest of this entry “

According to a report by Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research, Ohio is one of only two states in the country to earn an A in manufacturing and logistics. And the Center predicts manufacturing to hit all-time highs in 2011 and 2012. Read the rest of this entry “

When you start a small business, the most popular organizational forms are the limited liability company (LLC) and the S corporation. There are advantages to both, and you can even combine their features. Here’s what to consider: Read the rest of this entry “